Teams & Riders He's coming home!!!! Alejandro Valverde comeback thread.

[Valv.Piti]

Pretty expected to see him suffer on Arcalis considering a) already on the attack earlier b) Giro, ask Contador and c) the sudden change of weather.

I hope he will give it a go, pull 1-2 kilometres at Ventoux at 100% with 10 km to go, Porte style. Obviously, if thats what Nairo wants.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

The amazing thing of Valverde is that he is top ten with the Giro in his legs and working for Quintana. If he hadnt wasted energy at the begining of the stage I think he could have finished with the best today. And he will be fighting for medals in Rio, dont doubt it.

Or too tired.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Samu Sanchez's whole career is highlighted with his Beijing Gold medal. Every sportsman considers Olympic Gold medal as something greatest or among the greatest things he had done in his sporting career.

Samu Sanchez's biggest career wins were things like a few Vuelta stages and the Tour of the Basque Country. He is quite right to rank his Olympic medal as his greatest achievement because much as I like him as a rider, he has no genuinely great achievements. As for Rafael Nadal, he may have some nationalist quirk that makes him give disproportionate significance to his Olympic medal. I don't know. But I do know that in the sport of tennis Rafael Nadal's reputation and significance rests on his fourteen Grand Slam singles wins, not an Olympic medal any more than his Davis Cup wins. You know what tennis players Olympic medals really, really matter to though? Doubles specialists. Because doubles is a minor sport, like track cycling.

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

The amazing thing of Valverde is that he is top ten with the Giro in his legs and working for Quintana. If he hadnt wasted energy at the begining of the stage I think he could have finished with the best today. And he will be fighting for medals in Rio, dont doubt it.

Or too tired.

Valverde gets stronger as much as ride more and more

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Now that he has lost a bit of time, do people think that Valverde will drop any remaining ambition to get a GC minor placing in favour of working for Quintana? Or will that stay in his mind.

 

[Fernandez]

Re:

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

He is an old school cyclist, hell be ready at Rio. Im more worried about the Spain tactics at the race.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

He is an old school cyclist, hell be ready at Rio. Im more worried about the Spain tactics at the race.

Will it not be all for Valverde?

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Re:

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

He is an old school cyclist, hell be ready at Rio. Im more worried about the Spain tactics at the race.

Well, we can disagree.

 

[Fernandez]

Re:

Now that he has lost a bit of time, do people think that Valverde will drop any remaining ambition to get a GC minor placing in favour of working for Quintana? Or will that stay in his mind.

The man just cant let the race go, its in his genes.

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

He is an old school cyclist, hell be ready at Rio. Im more worried about the Spain tactics at the race.

Will it not be all for Valverde?

I dont know how is gonna be with Purito and with Contador if hes finally selected

 

[Valv.Piti]

Obviously Valverde won't be stronger with 61 race days compared to, say, 30, but we can all agree that relative to his competitors, Valverde is the one suffering the least from many race days on an incredible high level.

I don't think as much about Rio, I must admit. I dno if I rate it too low or that I am just in full TdF-mode, but first and foremost I hope for some good racing from Valverde in this Tour. Especially considering Movistar as a team as disappointed me a bit in the mountains so far, so Quintana really needs a good Valv here.

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

Unless he crashes out of the Tour, Valverde will get to Rio with at least 61 racing days in his legs. Keep that in mind.

He is an old school cyclist, hell be ready at Rio. Im more worried about the Spain tactics at the race.

Well, we can disagree.

I think the man knows something about racing after more than ten years fighting for wins.

 

[Escarabajo]

Valverde does not get affected by the amount of racing days as much as other riders do. Better if he didn't but he will still be good.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Samu Sanchez's whole career is highlighted with his Beijing Gold medal. Every sportsman considers Olympic Gold medal as something greatest or among the greatest things he had done in his sporting career.

Samu Sanchez's biggest career wins were things like a few Vuelta stages and the Tour of the Basque Country. He is quite right to rank his Olympic medal as his greatest achievement because much as I like him as a rider, he has no genuinely great achievements. As for Rafael Nadal, he may have some nationalist quirk that makes him give disproportionate significance to his Olympic medal. I don't know. But I do know that in the sport of tennis Rafael Nadal's reputation and significance rests on his fourteen Grand Slam singles wins, not an Olympic medal any more than his Davis Cup wins. You know what tennis players Olympic medals really, really matter to though? Doubles specialists. Because doubles is a minor sport, like track cycling.

Yeah and that's why Novak Djokovic so desperately wants to win Olympic gold! I see it's pointless to explain someone like you true meaning of the Olympic Games and especially what Olympic Gold Medal represents for every sportsman (And I mean EVERY!). You must be from United States or something.., some baseball/American football fan (although it's some kind of a blasphemy to call this silly game a football!)

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I see it's pointless to explain someone like you true meaning of the Olympic Games and especially what Olympic Gold Medal represents for every sportsman (And I mean EVERY!). You must be from United States or something.., some baseball/American football fan (although it's some kind of a blasphemy to call this silly game a football!)

I am not American. Like everyone else with a functioning brain I understand that the true meaning of the Olympic Games is money making, advertising opportunities, large scale corruption and the propagation of petty nationalism. Which makes it little different from most other major sporting events, of course. I also understand that Olympic medals are the crowning glory of the careers of athletes in minor sports and nice novelty items to the top athletes in major sports.

But anyway, back to Alejandro Valverde.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

I see it's pointless to explain someone like you true meaning of the Olympic Games and especially what Olympic Gold Medal represents for every sportsman (And I mean EVERY!). You must be from United States or something.., some baseball/American football fan (although it's some kind of a blasphemy to call this silly game a football!)

I am not American. Like everyone else with a functioning brain I understand that the true meaning of the Olympic Games is money making, advertising opportunities, large scale corruption and the propagation of petty nationalism. Which makes it little different from most other major sporting events, of course. I also understand that Olympic medals are the crowning glory of the careers of athletes in minor sports and nice novelty items to the top athletes in major sports.

But anyway, back to Alejandro Valverde.

Agree, only on the last (Valverde) part

 

[Amazinmets87]

What a beast this man is. Within striking distance of the podium double while supporting an inferior rider.

Is it just me or is a podium double just as impressive as winning the tour or giro?

 

[Jolene]

Re:

What a beast this man is. Within striking distance of the podium double while supporting an inferior rider.

Is it just me or is a podium double just as impressive as winning the tour or giro?

Works for me!! The man is amazing

 

[DBotero]

Valverde still flying high in the GC and this while working for Quintana

 

[Amazinmets87]

Now that Quintana has shown he doesn't have the legs will bala be unleashed?

 

[rzombie1988]

Re: Re:

I see it's pointless to explain someone like you true meaning of the Olympic Games and especially what Olympic Gold Medal represents for every sportsman (And I mean EVERY!). You must be from United States or something.., some baseball/American football fan (although it's some kind of a blasphemy to call this silly game a football!)

I am not American. Like everyone else with a functioning brain I understand that the true meaning of the Olympic Games is money making, advertising opportunities, large scale corruption and the propagation of petty nationalism. Which makes it little different from most other major sporting events, of course. I also understand that Olympic medals are the crowning glory of the careers of athletes in minor sports and nice novelty items to the top athletes in major sports.

But anyway, back to Alejandro Valverde.

Hit the nail on the head here. And the best part? They aren't getting salaries except for sponsorships. Some of the lesser athletes can barely even afford to go.

 

[Moviestar]

Very clever before the start: I will lose some time on purpose in the flat stages. And now almost 2 weeks further he is practical in the same time as his leader. It's absolutely not in his nature to lose time on purpose, the guy always wants to compete with the best. To ride a GT without ambitions/pressure is impossible.

 

[Carols]

Re:

What a beast this man is. Within striking distance of the podium double while supporting an inferior rider.

Is it just me or is a podium double just as impressive as winning the tour or giro?

As much as I love Bala the answer to your question is a resounding No.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

What a beast this man is. Within striking distance of the podium double while supporting an inferior rider.

Is it just me or is a podium double just as impressive as winning the tour or giro?

As much as I love Bala the answer to your question is a resounding No.

But not far of a Giro win if you ask me